Community effort results in upgraded community ballfield at Lansing Sports Complex


The ballfield at the Lansing Sports Complex has undergone a series of renovation measures over the last two years, resulting in a much more player-friendly and viewer-friendly facility. Contributions of time, talents and funding from a variety of community sources made the renovation possible. Photo by Marlene Duffy.

Thanks to a helpful community, the Sports Complex ballfield in Lansing has received a needed facelift. A series of projects has been completed over a two-year period at the sports facility.
Improvements during that renovation process cost approximately $50,000 and were funded by a diverse group of public and private entities. What began with complaints of a “rock-hard” infield to Lansing Parks Board members has now come to completion with a safer and a more fan-friendly venue for local sports events.

Improvements started with funding from the R.J. McElroy Foundation to aid in the purchase of a new scoreboard. With the assistance of Brennan Construction, Big River Companies, Mauss Electric and City of Lansing employees, the new scoreboard was installed. Tumbleweed Welding next installed a flag pole adjacent to the new scoreboard.

Another needed project was the replacement of fencing down both sides of the field. That project was kick-started by a grant from the Allamakee County Community Foundation. Alliant Energy then came to the rescue by contributing labor, machinery and money to the effort. The new fencing was installed and safety caps added on to the entire field fence.

A backstop was recycled from the Shooky Fink baseball field in New Albin and installed. Alliant Energy then added safety netting to protect the crowd from flying balls. As a final touch, old wooden fencing was replaced adjacent to the parking lot area near the field.

The next phase of the renovation involved making the infield surface a little more player friendly. The Minnesota Twins Fields for Kids Community Fund was the main contributor to this portion of the project. The old, hard field surface was removed, new field soil was added, and grading was completed. Lansing Parks Board Chairman Corey Winters donated countless hours to assisting a hired contractor in accomplishing the playing field upgrade.

The final project was the installation of new player bench areas. There was a wish to put in traditional below-grade dugouts. However, the location of the water-table along the nearby river and additional concrete work that would have been required made that effort cost-prohibitive. The new fenced-in bench areas were designed by Lansing Mayor Mike Brennan to be “see-through” to maintain field view as much as possible for spectators. There is an additional attached, fenced-in “on-deck” area designed as a safety feature.

The Lansing Parks Board says that those new bench areas would not have been possible without some generous donations from the following sources: Joyce Brennan (on behalf of Dan Brennan), Kerndt Brothers Bank, New Albin Savings Bank and the Lansing Lion’s Club. The City of Lansing also contributed money and resources to complete the project.

According to the Lansing Parks Board, the Lansing ballfield gets plenty of usage by the community, as youth baseball, softball, football and soccer are all played there. It is also the home field for the amateur baseball Lansing Mudcats team that plays in the Mississippi Valley Baseball League.  The field is used during the Lansing Fish Days celebration for a large, multi-day softball tournament. It is also serves as an alternative practice field for the Kee High School baseball and softball teams. Finally, the field is also available for use by community members for family and friends usage.

Lansing Parks Board member Marlene Duffy has stated she has received numerous compliments in regard to the upgrades from visiting teams from the Mississippi Valley League. The Lansing Park Board relays that thanks to the efforts of community members, businesses and organizations, the City of Lansing once again has a community ballfield that the Lansing community can be proud of.